Osteo-arthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis and usually occurs after middle age. Especially vulnerable are knee joints where chronic breakdown of cartilage leads to pain, stiffness, and swelling. As the body tries to compensate for this infirmity, the knee joint may migrate laterally or outwardly, or it may migrate inwardly or medially, with the former condition often referred to as “bowlegged” and the latter referred to as “knock-kneed.” When either event occurs, the leg experiences a corresponding curvature, the arthritic condition is not relieved, and the wearer continues to experience distress.
One manner of treating an osteo-arthritic knee condition is to fit the wearer with a knee brace whereby support is provided to allow reasonable ambulatory activity without undue risk of injury. In addition to providing ambulatory support, a prior art adjustable knee brace is available wherein releasably-securable angular adjustability of an upper brace portion above the knee joint of a wearer is laterally inwardly and outwardly movable with respect to a lower brace portion below the knee joint to thereby undertake straightening of the joint to overcome leg curvature. However, while this prior art brace with angularly-sideways adjustability addresses leg curvature, its functionality with respect to lower-leg flexion at the knee joint is impeded because certain interfacing hinge and brace members are not complimentarily configured for cooperating juxtaposed movement. Consequently, certain lateral-angle dispositions of the upper brace portion in relation to the lower portion cause an impact between the hinge and upper brace portion upon attempted full flexion by the wearer. This interference results in prohibiting full flexion and thereby can impede full mobility for the wearer.
In view of the above flexion constraint, it is apparent that a need is present for a knee brace capable of not only treating leg curvature, but also simultaneously permitting the wearer to achieve full leg flexion at the knee joint. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a knee brace for the treatment of osteo-arthritis wherein treatment of leg curvature is addressed while concurrent complete flexion at the knee joint of a wearer is permitted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a knee brace wherein interfacing hinge and brace members are complimentarily configured for cooperating juxtaposed movement during leg flexion over all relative lateral-angle placement positions between upper and lower brace portions.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.